The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-04-14

EAGER CROWDS sCRAAfBLrNc r1s1so
THE MARTs OF FASHION.
The Civtlities Of Life Down-trodten IN -
Eager Rush-Pictoriai Models Of shafo
which Invite vain Imitation-A BnSl
Spot Displayed for Conscience gaks.

NEW YORK, April lS.-Sh0ppinG ot
just this time In New York converts
the mildest of women into the wild
est of semi-maniacs. Have you ever
seen jam in big New York storet A
scramble for choice seats at circus e
nothing compared with the rush for
bargain counter. Yesterday afternoon
felt my feet lifted of the ground, and
found myself floating on rushing, noisy
stream into one Of the big doors, as help
less to keep control Of my own movements
as my mamma did when she fell into the
hands of Russian naval officer at ball
in Duke Alexis days, and was thrown
all around big hall for fifteen minutes,
and flung on chair to rest until she came
to. What followed when touched bot
tom, and once again was free to walk
inside the store, you would scarcely
believe. A surging multitude of women
every woman for herself, and the dick
ems take the hindmost-were swinging
along the passage-way, with mouths Get,
eyes fixed, elbows spread and fists
clenched, ready to walk over, push aside,
squeeze past or fiatten out of shape any
other woman independent enough to Try
to secure the humblest rights or privi-
| leges.
| New York women of fashion have q
spring novelty in materials that come
with parasol aid fan made up of the
same stuff, in the box with the dress
| goods, and tempting outfits they are.
For many years it has been considered
bad style abroad to wear rich silks ON
| the streets. By degrees that theory has
obtained foothold here, until with this
season it seems as though all stylish wo-
men had adopted stuff goods for outdoor
wear, and would further follow the
English fashion of confining their prom
enade costumes during the summer to
print frocks," as the British call 'em.
With the gingham and percale dresses
come the parasols and fans, and wasp
wasted, high-colored creature depicted
on card to show you.how you will look
when made up. No matter how old
auntie is, she gazes entranced at that
fashion-plate. Buy that gown and look
like that? To be sure she will. I'm
consciously, she pouts her wheeZy old
mouth at the dab of pink paint that rep
resents the impossible lips of the miss in
the picture. She sucks up her diaphragm
in despairing hope that something like
that waistband may be attained. And
she points to the toe of her five and q
half b shoe, as she views very fly-speck
OF an Oxford-tie protruding from the
famer in front. It's too much to hope.
But into the store plunges auntie, and
buys the seductive suit. These manu-
facturers know their business. Parasol,
fan, buttons and picture thrown in
make the costume irresistible.
Women of New York would laugh to
go into general country store" and
hear Miss Deacon Comstock haggle with
freckled-faced clerk over a piece of
calico. He is called off for a quart of
molasses and a bag of buckshot. He
comes back polishing his person in the
shady region of his coat-tail, and assures
Miss Comstock that the article under dis
course will wash like iron and wear for
ever.
II s'pose you throw in the fndin'ss P"
Couldn't at that price"
"Wali,, l won't conclude out this
You're proper hard on me, Miss Com
stock, but SEEM it's you, I'll hev to-
bale of weltin' d-whalebones--you
take two yards of waist linin' ?-spool of
thread an skein of bastin' cotton-takes
all my profits, l do declare!'
Miss Deacon laughs and tells him to
put it all in the back of the wagin' while
she goes in to see "ef that pesky tailor
has got the deacon's pants ready to take
home
Yes; the city girl would smile at this
dicker; but just show her dress pat
tern with fan and parasol to match,
and see how soon she exhibits the most
violent form of the Comstock complaint.
The most abnormal case of consci-
entiousness / ever saw or heard of
was woman who came under my
eyesight, yesterday, in a dry-goods
store. She had a rather pretty face,
and was under thirty; she wore first
rate clothes, though they were some
what plain, and quite devoid of exagger-
ations; and she might have passed ut
terly unobserved in the crowd-except
for the astonishing top of her head. On
her apex, uncovered by the smaliness of
her stylish bonnet, was perfectly bald
spot about three inches in diameter. Are
women, then, ever bald? The reader
may never have thought about it, but it
is probable, considering the diverse mall
treatment which feminine hair and scalp
undergo for fashions sake, that there are
fully as many bald women as there are
men. Look around you in any public
gathering, therefore, consider the num-
Der of bald men, and take it for granted
that at least an equal proportion of the
women are bald, to. But you cannot,
without private advices, pick out them
on sight. In this singular instance, the
woman was intensely sensitive of con-
science, was told. Her name was Mar
tina Decrow Robinson, and she is revi-
, yalist belonging to the Free Methodist
, denomination. Her doctrine as to per-
sonal adornment is that woman may
wear as handsome and fashionable gar
ments as her means warrant, but that
there must not be the least falsity or de-
ception. So she eschews bustles and
every other artificiality of outline; and
D the same rule, vigorously construed, led
t her to disclose freely the bald spot ON hel
5 head.
, "And if she doesn't get to Heaven after
. that" said my companion, as we and the
, others gazed at the astounding exhibit
"then there is no virtue in personal sacri.
, fice." Miss LooKABouT.
THE DEVASTATION OF FASHION. \
Birds and Brutes Threatened with Exter,
min2tiOn to Supply Trade.